Fruity drinks: Take advantage of summer produce for DIY juice

They’re fruit in liquid form, like quaffing pure honeydew melon, red seedless grapes, strawberries and other stars of the season, by themselves or in combinations you dream up.

Margaret Maples

They’re fruit in liquid form, like quaffing pure honeydew melon, red seedless grapes, strawberries and other stars of the season, by themselves or in combinations you dream up.

Tailor-made

Supermarkets are awash in the stuff – bottled, canned, boxed, frozen. But there’s something special about making your own juice from fresh fruit. Mixed without chemical preservatives, not even sodium or added sugar, these personal concoctions are not designed for long-term storage except as flavored ices or frozen cubes and treats. Drink home-processed juice soon.

You can tailor flavors to suit your preferences, and you can usually do it cheaply with seasonal produce. Other options are farmers markets and pick-your-own-fruit operations. Keep in mind that no one will see a few blemishes after your juicer has done its job.

Daily grind

We experimented with a blender and ended up with velvety mango and strawberry smoothies, not juices. Next we tried a medium-size juicer, which sends liquid into a receiving pitcher on one side and huge quantities of pulp into a container on the other. The instructions offered this tip: Line the pulp container with a plastic bag for easy cleanup.

Juicing requires a little prep. Tossing in whole fruit means your juicer blades will be chopping woody stems and rinds. That is likely to dull the blades and the flavor of the beverage. Dump rinds, stems, stones or pits beforehand; wash unpeeled fruit and pat it dry.

Good, better, best

Lots of fruits are good for juicing, and we tried several. Mango-apricot-strawberry deserves a return engagement. Red seedless grape-mango-orange has a sunny flavor and appearance.

The concoction we liked best mixes juice from a honeydew, a watermelon, apricots and strawberries (see recipe). We call it Rosy Tune. Kids love it, and for grownups it harmonizes well with vodka. If you want to tweak the flavor, add or hold back juices as you like.

Does this juice make me look fat?

Fruit is famous for healthy vitamins, but don’t let the “no-sugar-added” tag fool you. Juice has lots of natural carbohydrates. It can fill you up and eventually enlarge you right out of that swimsuit. Sip in moderation.

ROSY TUNE

Even if they look alike, two melons (or apricots or strawberries) may not be equal in liquid gold. So process the juice, then follow the measurements for this recipe.

Feed the fruit into a juicer, according to the appliance instructions. Pour each juice into a separate container. Measure the juices into a pitcher. If the juice seems too pulpy, add a bit of club soda. Cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled, garnished with melon balls and strawberries. Makes 2 servings.